O’Neill won’t run for mayor or council

Friday

May 11, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 11, 2007 at 11:20 AM

The November ballot won’t include William O’Neill’s name as a candidate for mayor or a seat on the nine-member town council.O’Neill, an outspoken Precinct 5 Town Meeting member, had expressed interest last year in running to become Braintree’s first mayor.

Robert Aicardi

O’Neill, an outspoken Precinct 5 Town Meeting member, had expressed interest last year in running to become Braintree’s first mayor.

“I just don’t know if I’ve got the stomach for that sort of thing,” he told the Forum. “How can you ask for money and not be compromised? I’m troubled by the amount of money it costs to run for office at all levels of government.”

O’Neill’s departure leaves three candidates for the town’s top job: former state Rep. Joseph Sullivan, Selectman Joseph Powers, and Brian Muello.

“Joe Sullivan said that he’d like to solicit my support, and I said that I would be open to that,” O’Neill said. “I think that either he or Joe Powers would be a good mayor.”

O’Neill said that he will “definitely” not run for the town council.

“It’s not my cup of tea,” he said. “I’m not that sure it’s all that meaningful a role.”

O’Neill believes that he has had a positive impact on the community through his activities as a self-described gadfly.

“I’ve brought some issues off the back burner, and others with more influence have begun to champion the same things,” he said.

O’Neill feels he was instrumental in letting voters have the chance to choose a different form of government.

“I lobbied the selectmen to put the mayor/council proposal on the ballot (in April, 2006),” he said.

The change from the current selectmen/Town Meeting structure will take effect in January.